


Battle Cry

by Flare_Light



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Different identities, Gen, Maledictus, Multiple Personality Disorder, Mysterious Characters, Other People, Some serious foreshadowing, don't hurt sweet child Severus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 11:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18893812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flare_Light/pseuds/Flare_Light
Summary: The girls are monsters. That’s what everyone said, anyway. And if you were told something enough times, you begin to believe it. And so begins their seventh year—with a fire, an escape, an amputation and a castle that scrapes the sky. A castle that’s stood, silent and unwavering, for the best part of a thousand years. But four monsters will have to ruin it, right? After all, the darkness that’ll descend upon Hogwarts doesn’t only come from the school’s increasing body count, but rather the more horrific moments of adolescence.Updates Monday every second week.





	1. Prologue • Maledictus

**Author's Note:**

> Hello There, 
> 
> This is my first story and I would like to know what you think. This is a collaboration with two other people but since they don't have AO3 accounts I couldn't add them as co-creators.
> 
> Please tell me what you think and if there is anything I should fix, thanks.

❝We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we learned they were inside of our heads.❞

_**CAROLINE SILVERGLASS** did up the long, red dress that was more constricting than she would have liked, the silky fabric slipping over her body like cool caresses of water. She was alone in the tent, waiting for someone to call her out._

_She ran her hands through her dark hair, absentmindedly braiding strands before tugging them out. She was ready to go into the ring, ready to be ridiculed by everyone who turned up to the circus she belonged to._

_“Cara?”_

_She spun, silky hair momentarily blinding her before she gasped and ran forwards. “Nico?”_

_She pressed her hand against the iron bars, wishing they would disappear so she could hug her brother again. “Nico.” She breathed._

_“Cara, listen to me. You need to run! You can’t stay here in this circus anymore! You’re only sixteen, you need a **life**!”_

_“A life, Nico?” She returned. “You know that’s impossible. You and I… a vampire and a maledictus? There is no home for people like us.”_

_“There’s no home for people like **me**.” He corrected, clutching her hands through the bars. “Cara, you can live normally until you turn.”_

_“No!” She cried. “Nicodemus Enzo Silverglass, don’t you dare!”_

_“AND NOW… SOURCED FROM THE GYPSIES THEMSELVES... THE GIRL WITH THE FACE OF GOLD AND THE HEART OF A MONSTER, PLEASE WELCOME… CAROLINE SILVERGLASS!” The Ringmaster bellowed._

_Cara cast a frightened glance at Nicodemus, before straightening her dress and striding out, chin held high and eyes burning. She **wasn’t** going to subdue. She **wasn’t** going to bow to them._

_The crowd stared at her fearfully, some pulling their children away from the monster that she was._

_A dark-haired man, maybe about her age, stood right in front of her. She stared at his grey eyes for a few seconds, before breaking eye contact and continuing with her stalking around the cage._

_“Some of you may be wondering why I called her a monster, such a beautiful girl. Well, here’s the truth… Caroline is a Maledictus!”_

_The gasp that ran through the audience was one of the loudest Cara had ever heard, as they all peered at her, eyes frightened and judging her, for all the crimes she couldn’t help but commit._

_“One day, Caroline will lose her human form and be forever stuck as a beast!”_

_That was Cara’s cue. She flipped over, bending her back, as brown hair sprouted along the length of her body, red dress melting into her skin, nose lengthening into a snout._

_Instead of her, a wolf stood in the cage, her Maledictus form on full display._

_She bared her teeth, pawing at the dirt floor, and watching with grim satisfaction as the crowd screamed and hissed._

_The man who she had noticed before was watching her with sorrow, and she stared at him. He looked away from her gaze._

_The Ringmaster chuckled heartily, and she turned, skulking into the shadows. When the oohs and ahs of the crowd had properly faded behind her, she morphed back into her human form._

_“Cara!”_

_“Nico!” She replied. “If we run, we run together, alright? I can’t leave you, not-”_

_“Caroline Anwen-Sofia Silverglass, listen to me!”_

_The use of her full name shocked her into silence, and she stared at her brother. “Nico…?”_

_“You need to run. Not me. You. You need to make a life!”_

_The Ring erupted in the final cheers of the night behind her, but she didn’t flinch. “Nico… please.”_

_“I can’t let you throw away your life because of me, Caroline!” He said forcefully, squeezing her hands. “You need to run!”_

_“But I’m locked here!” She protested weakly._

_“Caroline, if fire is hot enough it **will** snap metal.”_

_Her eyes widened, and she smiled broader than she had in years._

_“Ignium!” She yelled, feeling the fire ignite in her hands, the flame pulsing through her veins._

_She pressed her hands against the bars, feeling it melt and crumble under her skin. She stepped through their charred remains easily, throwing her fire everywhere she could see._

_“SILVERGLASS!” The Ringmaster yelled, bits of spittle flying out of his mouth as he rounded the corner. “What is going on?”_

_She looked at him, flames reflecting in her eyes. “I am from one of the four eldest pureblood families, each given the opportunity to control the elements, but for a price. The Maledictus Curse was placed in the family, and everyone who gets the powers gets the Maledictus curse to counteract it! I am not just a gypsy, I am a member of the Ancient and Courageous House of Silverglass!”_

_He looked at her, clearly confused. She smiled._

_“You crushed my bones. You charred my soul. But you know what the Silverglass family motto is? If we burn, you burn with us!”_

_“What about your brother?” The Ringmaster sneered. “He isn’t immune to fire!”_

_Cara’s face whitened, tears spilling their way down her cheeks, carving tracks of silver. “He told me to do this.” She murmured, mainly to herself. “It’s not my fault.”_

_Crystal tears splashed from her eyes, and she broke into a sob, before turning into a wolf and fleeing the camp, leaving the Circus and her brother burning behind her._

_**NURIE FLAYR** flew through the deep undergrowth, her mentor close behind her. She could hear the flap of his wings, see the path she was to fly. Her sharpened senses could feel every detail, hear every slight rustle, see every movement. Perfect for the hunter that her animal was._

_Although today, she was not in the mood for hunting. She suddenly turned into a human, falling lightly to the ground as she raced through the forest, her bare feet feeling each twig, each stone. She felt her mentor land beside her. Laughing, the four-year-old rolled out of the woods onto a green hill. Her mentor groaned as he sat down, old age getting the better of him._   
_Suddenly, the air shimmered in front of them. She frowned and stood up, the man next to her doing the same. He pulled out his wand as the shimmering air turned into the arrival of a Portkey._

_Three men and two women stepped away from the Portkey; an old kettle that zipped away when the last of the five had let go. The five’s wands were pointed at the girl and the old man._   
_“Professor Albert Hige and Nurie Flayr, you have been discovered as Maledictuses and therefore are not able to work or be taught at Ilvermorny School. We are to take you into custody.”_   
_“No, you’re not,” Professor Hige said, stepping in front of Nurie. Nurie stayed behind him, knowing he would protect her, but still peeking around his legs at the wizard who had talked. “We are on Ilvermorny grounds, and you have no jurisdiction here.”_

_One of the witches spoke up softly. “I’m sorry, but we do,” she handed the professor a piece of paper. It was a consent, given by the Headmaster of the school. “We need to leave. The next Portkey will be here soon and we can’t miss it.” The witch stepped forward and grabbed Nurie’s hand tightly while the other four zoned in on to Professor Hige. He looked at the frightened girl who he had come to know of as his own daughter and said one word, “Run.”_

_Nurie shifted, her hawk form coming naturally to her and she took off with surprising speed, away from the witch. The witch and one of the wizards raised their wands and fired a spell, but Nurie was already turning; back towards the group._

_She landed on the biggest wizard’s face, clawing his eyes out, he fell to the ground, but before she could escape, the second witch had grabbed onto her leg and was pulling her back down. The professor muttered a few words and the woman’s face became contorted with pain. The Portkey came back, this time, a handkerchief._

_“I’ll apparate back when I’ve got her. Go,” she said and the others, holding the professor tightly, disappeared. The woman looked at the hawk, pondering. For a few seconds, she had become heavier and her skin had changed. But then, she was back in her form as a hawk, and with a sharp object clutched awkwardly in her talons._

_A knife._

_Quickly, knowing that the quicker she did it, the quicker it would be to get assistance, she turned into a human again but left her wings and the leg of her hawk form, she cut through her leg, amputating herself._

_The pain was immediate and, well, painful. Holding back tears, she changed fully into her hawk form a flew off, leaving the bloody knife and her cut off leg with the witch._

_And the witch lay on the hill a while afterwards, wondering how such a kind of resolve could exist in a four-year-old, one so powerful that she could cut off her own leg._

_**MALLORY SNOW** sat in the white room, clenching her fists into her already-tangled blonde hair. Her loud, dry sobs echoed throughout the asylum._

_Screaming came from the room to the left of her, and the room to the right was filled with a loud whimpering sound. A large clattering noise could be heard throughout the place as food was passed through the flaps to the patients._

_Mallory took hers, grabbing the bowl that housed the grey mush and spooning it into her mouth. The dirty water in the tin cup wasn’t much, either, but she’d learnt to live with it._

_Why’d **she** get the power? Of all her four siblings, why couldn’t Evie have got it, or Thomas, or Samson, or Lucy? Why’d it have to be her locked in the white room, alone, without company or any food but her mush._

_They’d taken her wand, uncertain if she’d ever be well enough to use it again. She was well, she **was**! Her father had sent her to this place because of her curse, of her strange powers._

_She’d been here for five years since she was twelve. The first few weeks, she had sobbed and curled up into a ball and refused to eat. She still sobbed, but it was less often now._

_Maybe she really was insane._

_The thought had crossed her mind a few times, while she was debating the unfairness of being locked in here. What if her father had a reason for trapping her for life?_

_This place was worse than Azkaban. At least in Azkaban you could be free. Here?_

_Here you waited._

_Waited, while the world crumbled around you._

_Mallory gritted her teeth, trying to stop the swirling colours that came after you cried. It didn’t work._

_She **hated** this place. She needed to escape._

_The idea came to her so suddenly she was uncertain of why she hadn’t thought of it before._

_She transformed into a mouse, bolted through the iron trapdoor and fled._


	2. Chapter One • Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four mysterious figures arrive at Hogwarts... wait four!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 finally. I was so tempted to update this early, but I waited and here it is.
> 
> That's it, enjoy!

❝The mountains were perfect, beautiful together, but alone, not so. Why did our natures represent something that we were already cursed to be?❞

 

The Great Hall was aglow with the beams of light that spilled from the thousands of candles; the students chattering merrily between themselves, each eager to catch up on the other’s life.

Vivienne Montgomery sat alone, as always. No one really liked her, because she was sarcastic and cynical, and quite mean.

“What are you doing, Montgomery?” James Potter asked, not quite trusting the redhead before him, messing up his dark hair as he leant over his plate.

“I’m a bit bored, y’see.” She answered. “We have new students, and they’re late.”

“Hoping to find friends?” Camila Harold sneered from further up the table.

There were six Gryffindor girls in their year. Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, Alice Fortescue and Camila Harold had been close ever since the beginning of their first year, but Vivienne had always been the outcast.

“Why, yes, Camila.” Vivienne responded, voice sharp. “I am.”

Camila let out a snort, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder and turning back to her friends.

Everyone in the Hall suddenly jolted as the great oak doors were slammed open. Synchronised, all the student’s heads turned to stare at the four girls at the threshold.

The tallest, and the probable leader of the group, stood at the front. Brown hair fell long and loose around her tanned shoulders, and dark eyes gleamed with hidden flames under a thick smudge of heavy eyeliner.

She wore a red dress, ripped and torn, and she held her honey brown wand in her hand as she stormed through the Hall.

The girl slightly behind her was clearly the second tallest. Black hair fell to her waist, and her skin was white, like a ghost. She seemed like a black and white photograph, except that electric blue eyes swept the hall under hooded lids.

She snarled at any student stupid enough to look at her the wrong way, and her face seemed to be fixed in a permanent scowl above her black dress.

The third girl in line was the shortest, and was limping on a fake leg, visible even through the black leggings that she was wearing. Bright green eyes with hints of humor balanced with intelligence scanned the hall. Brown hair which was tied in a messy bun was coming undone, with strands of hair falling onto her caramel shoulders, but mostly onto her grey t shirt. She was obviously the happiest of the group, or at least the one acting the most like she was happy.

Except there was something guarded in her expression, and the way she gripped her elm wand suggested that she didn’t trust the people in front of her, and that she had good reason to.

The final girl wore a white slip as her clothes, her face screwed as if she was trying to fight invisible demons. Her fists were balled up, and her blonde hair was snarled and knotty, hanging lank around her face. She had dark blue eyes that looked around nervously at the students.

After their particularly eventful entrance, as the doors of the Great Hall righted themselves and swung back closed, the headmaster stood up and spread his hands.

“Welcome, Caroline, Nurie and Mallory. Since you have arrived, we shall now sort you, but unlike the others getting sorted tonight, you shall go straight to Year Seven.” He waved his hand towards a wary Professor McGonagall, who cautiously put the Sorting Hat back down.

Luna stepped forward. “What about me?”

“We only got notification of three new students…” McGonagall said cautiously, nearly quavering under the brunette’s gaze.

“She’s with us.” Cara said, stepping forward protectively. “Luna Lockwood.”

McGonagall nodded, and gestured for one of the girls to step forward.

Cara went first, as she always did. The professor lowered the hat onto her head, and the whispered conversations that had begun after Dumbledore’s speech fell silent.

 _Well,_ the hat said, pondering. _A quick wit and intelligent. Although you’re very stubborn, aren’t you? Very sure of yourself… very loyal. Not at all a seeker for knowledge. No, you are content with what you have… Interesting… Very well._ “GRYFFINDOR!” the hat proclaimed, and, as was tradition, the Gryffindor table erupted into applause.

Sirius Black turned to his friend, Lupin. “Hey… she’s hot.”

Lupin turned to him, and then looked at the new arrival. “Yeah… no, she’s way out of your league.” Sirius opened his mouth to retort when Professor McGonagall shouted, “Luna Lockwood!”

Luna walked up to the hat and sat down on the wooden stool, knowing already what it was going to say.

The hat spoke in a hushed voice for a long moment “SLYTHERIN!” it shouted finally and the table furthest to the right burst out clapping. Luna calmly took off the hat and walked over to the table.

“Nurie Flayr,” says Professor McGonagall. Nurie walks slowly up the aisle, her fake leg more noticeable than ever. She finally makes it to the stool, where she awkwardly sits down and the hat is placed.

 _Ah… Nurie. A child who seeks revenge. The professor? Yes… But you have a thirst for knowledge. You know you could easily grow your leg back, but you don’t want to. You want it as a reminder. That takes courage. Gryffindor, maybe? But no… you don’t want to be known for your bravery. You love knowledge. Cherish it. Very well, Nurie._ “RAVENCLAW!” the Sorting Hat announced, and one of the middle tables flooded with applause as Nurie limped over to the table and sat down.

“Mallory Snow,” the last name was called. She walked down the aisle, conscious of every eye upon her. She didn’t know what to expect, She didn’t have Cara’s boldness, or Nurie’s amputated leg, or Luna’s calmness that grabbed people’s attention. She sat down and the hat was put on her head.

 _Well, Mallory… Well, well, well… I see… Very well…_ “HUFFLEPUFF!” the name was shouted and the final table exploded into cheers.

“Very well,” Dumbledore said as Professor McGonagall went to put the hat away. “I have only a few words to say. Tweedling, Forget, Cherries and Pudding! Enjoy,” he said and the feast appeared before the students’ hungry eyes.

“So,” said a girl next to Cara. Vivienne, she had introduced herself as. “Where are you from?”

Cara looked at the girl. “I don’t know. I’m an orphan.” She was an orphan, so it wasn’t really a lie. “So, explain everything about this place.”

Vivienne did, with speed. So much speed, it was a wonder she actually managed to eat at all with all the words coming out of her mouth. She explained the teachers, the students, who to avoid, who to like and, of course, Quidditch.

“So you have seven players and four balls,” Luna said to a boy who called himself Severus. He nodded.

“Yes, and two bats, for the bludgers. And then three hoops, for the quaffle to go in,” he continued to explain the minor technicalities of the game, completely losing Luna but she nodded politely anyway.

“You’d be really good at it,” a boy called Lachlan, Nurie remembered. “You’re small and light, and you’d be good at dodging,” he added, but Nurie shook her head.

“No. It doesn’t seem to be something I would be good at. I have awful balance,” she said, shifting her fake leg to a better position as she stuffed a small party pie into her mouth and burning her tongue.

“I mean, being a Chaser sounds fun, but I’ve never ridden on a broom before,” Mallory said to a girl named Ashleigh, the Keeper on the Hufflepuff team.

“It doesn’t matter. Come to the trials,” Ashleigh said.

“Who knows? You might be a natural,” Lachlan replied.

“You’ll love it,” Severus added. “It’s so fun, weaving through the balls.”

“And it doesn’t matter if you mess up. Most of us do,” Vivienne finished, slightly morbidly.

 **LUNA LOCKWOOD** stared at the plate of food in front of her half listening to what the boy next to her was saying, Severus Snape she remembered him telling her, half lost in her own thought about her family.

Although she would never admit it the thought of them made her heart ache. She missed them, especially her brother who she hadn’t seen for years.

Severus must have noticed her staring glumly at her food because he stopped talking at looked at her with a curious expression.

“Something wrong?” He asked. “Hmm?” Luna looked up suddenly, “No, no, nothing's wrong.” Luna rambled, trying to get attention off of her but doing the exact opposite.

“You know,” One said to their friend, “She doesn’t seem like a Slytherin.”

“Do you think the Hat made a mistake?” Another asks.

“The Sorting Hat isn’t one to make mistakes.” A third says.

Luna clenches her fists in her lap, mumbling to herself. Severus puts his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Severus smiles at her, earning him a smile in return.

Someone speaks up changing the topic and diverting everyone's attention, “It says in the paper that the assassin of the evil group Death Eaters, Lucinda Lestrange escaped with murder again.”

Whispers ran along the table, “Who is she?”

“How does she do it?”

“Do you think she’s coming after us?”

“What are Death Eaters?”

“Who do you think they are?” Severus asks, “Bad people,” Luna answers, “They think what their doing is right, they think they are helping and are doing something right. But they’re not.”

“You seem pretty strongly against this.” Severus says, very obviously trying to get more out of her.

“They destroy things, I’m aloud to have a strong opinion about something like this.” Severus puts his hands up in surrender, “You win.” Luna laughs.

“I’m trying to change the topic from this depressing one, but I really am curious so tell me more about Quidditch.” Severus’ face lit up. “Of course!”

 **MALLORY SNOW** sat nervously at her table, nibbling down pieces of food purely to be a bit polite. Ashley was looking at her, concerned.  
“What is it?” Mallory asked.

“It just, are you ok?” Ashley answered.

“Yeah? Why?”

After meeting the other three girls Mallory felt a bit like, well Mallory. Cara was strong and courageous, amazing in hand-to-hand combat, and she had a glare that could make anyone falter.

Nurie was smart and amazing at flying. Mallory thought she could do anything. As Nurie said, ‘Brains will always beat brawn,’ and Mallory agreed.

Then there was Lucinda mysterious and amazing at charms. She was like a time bomb, boom, once she exploded it was scary but very powerful.

“Hello, Mallory? Are you still in there?”

“Hmm? Yes? Sorry, lost in thought.”

Ashley laughed, “Are you going to tryout for Quidditch?” Ashley asked changing the topic.

“Quidditch?”

“Yeah! It’s fun, you should totally tryout! If you don’t you won’t get to experience the joy of flying.”

“Ok, I will.” Mallory answered.

Ashley cheered.

 **NURIE FLAYR** looked across the table to the boy Lachlan, who was trying to tell her about the school in more detail, but was trying to eat plenty at the same time. He picked up a large party pie as he was explaining the moving staircases and the trick stairs, but when he put it in his mouth and kept trying to talk, it was completely intelligible. Nurie laughed as he looked confusedly at his mouth.

“Stop talking,” she said. “Just finish your mouthful.” He looked at her gratefully, but when he finished his mouthful, he looked at her plate and said, “You haven’t eaten anything.” And he proceeded to pile her plate full.

“Stop,” she laughed. “That’s enough food.”

He stared at her. “I’ve only just started,” he protested. “No, stop,” she said. “I don’t eat much.”

“So, Nurie, before Lachlan bores you to death,” said the girl seated next to her, smiling at Lachlan’s spluttered protests. “Explain your life to us, and we’ll explain ours.”

“Sylvia, maybe it’s not the best time to -”

“It’s alright, Adam,” Nurie said. She turned to Sylvia. “I’m from America. The school for magic there, Ilvermorny, was horrible, so I left.” The lie came easily. Too easily. But they bought and were soon digging happily back into their own dinners. She picked up her fork, and attempted to finish what Lachlan had piled on her plate.

 **CAROLINE SILVERGLASS** hadn’t been surprised to get sorted into Gryffindor.

Nurie, who knew the most about Hogwarts, had explained to them the logistics of the houses. As soon as she had mentioned that Gryffindor was the house for the brave and the bold, she had known that would be the one for her.

Nico had always said that Cara should be a lion, not a wolf, as that was a better representation of her soul.

She had smiled and explained to him that was how patronuses worked, not Maledictuses.

Cara hated herself for leaving him to burn with the others. What was she thinking? She should have insisted he came, refused to leave.

Vivienne, the girl she was seated next to, was a redheaded seventh year, who didn’t seem to be particularly liked by anyone else to the house. Cara could see why, although she felt herself drawn to her.

“Caroline, huh?” A man asked, leaning over the table.

She averted her eyes from Vivienne for a moment, spinning in her seat to look at the grey eyed male.

_Grey eyes._

_Dark hair._

_The stifling heat of the circus tent._

_Fire, burning everything._

“I’m Sirius Black.”

She blinked herself out of her daydream, taking the man’s hand and shaking it. He didn’t seem to recognise her yet.

“Please call me Cara.” She said. “But, yes, I am. Caroline Anwen-Sofia Silverglass.”

Recognition flashed across his features, but he quickly hid it. Cara felt panic rise up her throat. Maybe he only remembered the name? Maybe?

“Well, Cara, to get in this house, clearly you have the heart of a lion.” He leaned closer. “Or should I say a wolf?”

_He knew._

She felt sick.

But there was no malice nor cruelty in his eyes, only burning curiosity. She had to admit, he was stunning, almost magnetic in his looks.

“Don’t go crushing over Sirius Black.” Vivienne said harshly. “He’s dated almost half the female population of the school. He leaves a trail of broken hearts strewn behind him.”

“How does he manage that feat?” Cara queried.

The redhead shrugged. “Stays with them for three or four days, then ditches them. Did it to me.”

“Really?”

“In fifth year. Had a few dates, realised he was snogging Hestia Jones. Got over it.”

Cara noted that the breakup was probably the reason Vivienne hated Sirius Black. “Don’t worry, Vivi, you could date any guy. You’re stunning.”

Vivienne stiffened at the nickname, and Cara pulled back. “Sorry, sorry, if you don’t like it-”

“I love it.” Vivienne interrupted. “I’ve just never had a nickname before, I suppose. Everybody hates me.”

“Why?”

“You’re clever, Cara, I think you can see that for yourself.”

“Doesn’t mean they should hate you!”

“Well, they do. Especially that awful Camila Harold.”

Cara craned her neck over to see the dark haired girl who Vivienne was describing. She had a pointy nose, a high forehead, and a certain air about her that made Cara not trust her. It was easy to see why she was sitting slightly apart from the other group.

“It doesn’t seem like the other group likes her much, either.”

“They don’t. Camila was OK until fourth year, when her dad died. Now she’s awful to everyone, but Lily Evans is still her friend. She tries, you know?”

“Doesn’t sound much like you hated her then.”

“I didn’t.” Vivienne said. “Back then we were as thick as thieves. Best friends. We were the most popular girls in the school. And then it all went downhill. She exposed all my secrets. Now I sit alone.”

“That’s really sad!” Cara exclaimed, spearing a potato with her fork like it was the root of all her troubles.

“Well, it’s done now. I think you’re sharing a dorm with me. I mean, I don’t share with the other girls.”

“Why not?”

“Because I set a bunch of wild hornets on them in my fifth year.” Vivienne explained. Camila had clearly heard, because she sent a poisonous glare their way.

“Idiot.” Vivienne continued decisively, shooting a pointed look at Cara.

“Well, Vivi, I hope you don’t do that to me.”

“Oh, I won’t.” She reassured. “Well, I might. If I don’t like you.”


	3. Chapter Two • Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cara, Luna and Nurie are attending the Quidditch trials but someone else is facing trials of their own.

**❝** There is no repairing the mistakes we made. **❞**

 

Hogwarts was bustling with the merry chatter of students, all excited about the tryouts occurring on Saturday.

 

It seemed like half the school was trying out, or at least hoping to. Quidditch was really the only entertainment at Hogwarts, and the students eagerly awaited every game, and placed bets on which house would take home the glory.

 

On Thursday, the try out times were posted on the noticeboard in each Common Room. Ravenclaw would try out from nine to ten, Hufflepuff from ten to eleven, Gryffindor from eleven to twelve and Slytherin from twelve to one.

 

By Friday, every student was buzzing, some with gossip - did you know _Hilary James_ is going to try out again? After she broke her leg last year? - and some with just pure excitement. A few students had to be take to the hospital wing, some from misadventures but most from malicious attacks from various other students.

 

Finally, the awaited day finally arrived. It was Saturday, and by the end of the day, those who failed and those who succeeded would be made known.

 

 **NURIE FLAYR** stepped out onto the field, wearing a retractable leg so that she could fly easily, but still be able to walk with it on whenever she needed to. Her broom, a silver arrow, a broom which hadn’t been seen for decades but she had immediately clicked with it when she found it in the broom shed, rested against her shoulder as she neared the Ravenclaw tryout section of the pitch.

As she neared the group, one of the Seventh Years, detached and came over to her.

 _Uh oh_ , she thought. Here it comes.

“I’m sorry, but I think it would be best if you didn’t try out,” he said, his face apologetic. “I’m not downgrading your skill, but you’d be at a huge disadvantage with your… your…”

“Leg,” Nurie finished for him, and he nodded, seeming grateful that he thought he had understood. She continued. “I don’t care. The air is literally my element. And besides, legs. They’re just an added weight.” She walked away, aware of the boy’s resigned face but she didn’t care, as she had told him.

Lachlan watched her as she neared. “You literally just told off a Head Boy,” he said admiringly. She shrugged and was about to reply when a girl started to speak. Or shout, was word which was a bit more appropriate.

“Alright, you lot, listen up,” she glared at the group as it quietened and turned to look at her. “Trials for Seekers, go over there, Chasers, there, Beater, there and Keeper, there,” she said pointing around their section of the pitch. Nurie looked at Lachlan, who had explained all of the positions to her.

“What are you going to do,” she asked. He shrugged.

“Keeper.” he replied. He paled slightly. “Unless, you would like to do that,” he said hurriedly, but she shook her head.

“I’m going for Beater,” she said. He looked at her.

“Um… is that the best idea?”

“Absolutely. It’s the one I want to do,” she said, and walked off to the small group of people trying out for Beater.

The girl who had first given out the instructions walked over to them. They numbered 7, and they all looked like they had played, or at least ridden a broom, before. “I’m the captain for the Ravenclaw team, so what I say goes. If you don’t like it, you can jolly well bugger off, because I’m not standing for bickering. I am also the other Beater, so only one of you will be able to succeed into the team,” she said, looking at the each in turn, before her eyes rested on Nurie. They stayed a fraction of a second longer then they had for the others, but then she was speaking again. “Mount your brooms. I want you to each grab a bat. As you can see, I’ve hung them on the Quidditch hoops. Last two back are eliminated and will be asked to leave,” she finished. A few moments passed, before she said icily, “Are you waiting for an invitation?”

A few of the group bobbed their heads apologetically, but Nurie wasn’t going to waste any more time on pleasantries. She mounted and sped off towards the posts, tailed hurriedly by the rest of the group.

Nurie laughed, maybe maniacally. The wind was in the hair, her broomstick faster than she had flown in the owl form. She urged her broom on faster and faster, until she was sure she was a blur, speeding along the pitch.

She reached the hoops, and turned abruptly, and then lifting suddenly when she realised she wouldn’t have enough momentum to avoid crashing into the hoop. She reached out and took a bat, and then turned and accelerated back. She was ahead of everyone else by a mile, and as she neared the captain, she slowed down slightly to descend.

A massive force barrelled into her and stole the bat.  
She cursed, loudly and fluently. She sped after the offender, who was almost at the captain. With a last burst of urging, her broomstick was above the thief’s. She jumped off her’s and landed neatly on his. He turned around, surprised, as Nurie snatched the bat from him.

“Thanks,” she said. She looked down to where her broom was falling. She jumped again, using the air currents to land herself onto her broom. She landed next to the captain, whose eyebrows were raised.

“Good job. And good job taking the bat back from Jacob. He does that tactic every time, so it’s nice to have someone who can get it back from him.” She turned away as the other contenders returned. “Good job… to those who succeeded. Jacob and Scarlett,” she addressed the boy and a small red haired girl. “You were the last to return, so I regret to say that you are eliminated from the Beater trials. You may trial again next year, but now I have to ask you to leave the pitch.” She turned to the rest of the group. “The next trial will be pretty basic. I bewitch the bludgers to chase after you guys. You have to defend yourselves. In the air,” she shouted, and as the group hurriedly mounted their brooms and hovered in the air, the captain picked up the bludgers, muttered under her breath a spell and threw them into the air. “Good luck! Remember, you have five minutes. Whoever gets hit is eliminated.”

Nurie looked at the bludgers, who were innocently chasing people to their deaths. _Lovely_ , she thought.

She righted her bat, and watched as one of the bludgers sped towards her. She felt the wind currents, and using them, timed her swing.

The bludger sailed away from her, encouraged by her bat and brute force, and went to chase someone else. A boy was hit and the captain called him down to a small circle she had drawn in the pitch, the bludgers chasing him. He dove into the circle, and the bludgers separated, unable to get inside.

Finally, a whistle sounded. Nurie, still unhit but being harassed by bludgers, flew down into the circle as a boy was doing. The others were already in the circle. The captain nodded to them as they entered, and then stepped out, waved her wand and the bludgers zoomed towards her. At the last second, she stepped to the side, and the bludgers landed in the case. The circle shut down and the captain addressed them.

“Holly, Max, Sascha and James,” she said. “You were all hit by the bludgers. Therefore, I regret to say that you are eliminated.” She repeated the same thing she had told Jacob and Scarlett, and watched as they trudged off the pitch.

“Nurie and Fin, you have succeeded the two trials. You are now the two Beaters. Good job,” she reached out to shake their hands, but Nurie hesitated. “I thought you were a beater,” she said, but she shook her head. “I’m a Chaser. I said that I was a Beater because it increased the competition and made you guys go your hardest, so I could see your full potential. Also, if only one of you got in, I can be a Beater and the people trialling the Chasers would just trial for three instead of two. Besides, they only have two Chasers anyway,” she gestured towards the other groups, who were coming closer. Nurie looked at the other players. Lachlan was coming, with two girls who were being the chasers, and another boy who was probably the seeker. She smiled at Lachlan as he neared, and he smiled back. He must have gotten Keeper then.

“Okie, guys. I’m Zara, Chaser and Captain of the Ravenclaw team, which most of you should know. This is Nurie and Fin, who are the Beaters, Ashleigh and B, you are the the other Chasers, Dylan, who is the Seeker and Lachlan, you are the Keeper. So… training is on Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings, from five till eight pm. Saturdays from nine am till twelve pm. Homework or study is not an excuse to miss training. Robes will be there at your first training session. That’s about it. Good job, guys. You guys can go to the dorms now. Nurie, can I talk to you for a sec? Thanks, guys.”  
Lachlan looked worriedly at Nurie, but she just shrugged and allowed herself to be led away by Zara. They sat down on a bench and Nurie took out her fake leg and began to strap it on. Zara looked at it, concerned.

“Are you going to fly with it on?” she asked. Nurie looked at her.

“No,” she said. “It’s too heavy.”

Zara nodded. “You were probably the best in the trials today. Not just with the Beaters. But there are some techniques that you need two legs for. Like flying nohanded. You need your knees to steer the broomstick.”

“I already know how to fly without hands. The air is kind of my element,” she said, putting quotations marks around the word so Zara wouldn’t get too suspicious. “It’s easier without my leg on anyway.”

Once again, she nodded, said something about seeing her at training, and left. Nurie settled back in her seat to wait for Cara, or Mallory or Luna.

 

 **MALLORY SNOW** saw nothing but fog.

 

Only fog, spiralling around the grounds and now in the corridors. Grey and white, mingling and curling towards the ceiling, coming out of her mouth and her ears. And now the fog was inside her—now she was the fog, and she was heavy and light all at once, and she was real and imaginary all at once, and the world was growing larger and growing smaller all at once.

 

She reached out.

 

It was too far now.

 

 **CARA SILVERGLASS** pulled her hair into a high ponytail, face set and eyes determined. It wasn’t just the fact she wanted to be in the team. She had made a bet with one of the current Gryffindor chasers, James Potter, that she would take his place, and she was keen to uphold her word.

 

Ten galleons were on the line.

 

She gathered around Frank Longbottom, the Captain and Keeper of the team.

 

“Listen up!” He yelled to the assembled crowd. “Here are the requirements before we try out! I’m Keeper, and so any aspiring Keepers need to get out now!”

 

A pair of boys left the crowd, muttering something about how the game was rigged.

 

“Next up! Training is Tuesday and Saturday evenings from three until seven, Monday mornings from six until eight, and all day Sunday, from eight until five! If you have other commitments or you don’t want to commit that much of your time, leave now. Homework, tests or assignments are not an excuse!”

 

That got a lot of people leaving, at least a fifth of those assembled, however, Cara knew that with thirty one people still trying out, she shouldn’t get cocky.

 

One boy shouted. “That’s nineteen hours a week, Longbottom!  Four more than last year!”

 

“And did we win the Cup?” Frank hollered back. “No! We lost to Slytherin! If you don’t like it, Black, bugger off!”

 

Sirius Black subsided, much to Cara’s amusement.

 

“Now, anyone remaining, I’m about to tell you your first exercise, so listen up! This is for all of you!”

 

Everyone was suddenly alert.

 

“I want four laps around the pitch _\- running -_ then fifteen flying, then one more running! First half back can stay, rest can go!”

 

Cara almost laughed aloud. _Running_ , the very thing wolves are best at. Her Maledictus form was in her blood.

 

“And remember, first back here gets the best broom! Go!”

 

Cara went, alright, silently thanking Nico for all the running training he had made her do as a child. Now her legs were strong, and she was ahead of everyone.

 

She slowed down slightly. She couldn’t keep this pace forever, although she did watch with some sadness as Sirius Black and James Potter streaked ahead of her.

 

“Tired, Silverglass?” James taunted, and Cara ground her teeth. But she’d be the one laughing in a couple of laps, when they were tired and panting and she could still run.

 

She was still ahead of most of the pack, though, and she’d done one, two, three laps of the large pitch in what felt like no time at all.

 

Now James and Sirius had dropped behind her. “Tired, Potter?” She laughed, repeating his phase from earlier.

 

James tried to catch up and reply at the same time, but failed at both, barely keeping up with Sirius at this point.

 

She finished first, seizing a Silver Arrow - which, according to Nurie, was the best broom - and clambering on it, before soaring into the air.

 

The wind ruffled her ponytail, pulling strands out and sending them into her face, but, not caring, she continued flying, counting her laps as she went.

 

James was now ahead of her, and she frowned. She had been beating him by miles.

 

She noticed the way his hands were more relaxed, his posture more hunched than hers. She noticed the way he took the corners sharper, and leaned forward on the straight bits.

 

She began to copy him, but by the time they had finished their fifteen laps he was still slightly in front.

 

Cara discarded her broom. _Only one lap this time._ She could sprint.

 

And sprint she did, catching up to James in a matter of seconds. He watched dumbfounded as she ran ahead, already rounding the corner.

 

“How are you so bloody fast?” He yelled, and she turned, dark eyes glinting, but didn’t answer until she slowed to a halt in front of Frank.

 

“Just am.”

 

Frank waited, counting, until eventually he yelled: “Right, stop! Everyone still flying please leave!”

 

There was much grumbling as everyone left the pitch.

 

“Please split into groups. Beaters, over there, Chasers, over there and Seekers, stay here please!”

 

Cara noticed that the Chaser group was largest, made up of fifteen members. Beaters had ten, and Seekers only six.

 

“Now!” Frank continued. “Chasers and Beaters, grab the broom you _had when flying, please.”_

 

Cara claimed her Silver Arrow, much to the displeasure of James, who only held a Cleansweep 2.

 

“Alright! Chasers, split into groups of three, and Beaters of two!”

 

Cara watched as James and Sirius grouped with a blonde haired boy she didn’t recognise, and neither did they.

 

The crowd split around her, and eventually Cara was left with a pair of giggling third years, named Chloe and Maddie, who really didn’t seem to care about Quidditch, only about ogling James and Sirius.

 

“Is everyone in groups? Okay then! Please come to me, I’ll note down your names, and then I’ll pair one Chaser group with a Beater group and send you up in the air!”

 

Cara strode over, informed Frank that she was ‘Caroline Silverglass’ and the other members of her group were ‘Madeleine Sutherland’ and ‘Chloe Thomas’, and was immediately paired with two fifth year Beaters, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, twins with flaming red hair.

 

“Everyone paired? Alright, I’ll ask you to go in turns. First up, Katherine Bolton and Ella and Bonnie Cornwall for the Chasers, and Victoria Hemmingsworth and Henry Adams for the Beaters!”

 

Cara didn’t pay attention to the ‘game’, nor to any of the people Frank called out until: “Caroline Silverglass, Madeleine Sutherland and Chloe Thomas for the Chasers and Gideon and Fabian Prewett for the Beaters!”

 

Loosely grasping her broom in one hand, she strode to the middle of the pitch.

 

“In case you tuned out here are the rules! Chasers must try to score and Beaters must try to hit them off their broom. If any of you Chasers fall off you are _out!_ Same for you Beaters if you hit each other or if the Chasers score five goals. Ready? Set, go!”

 

Cara grabbed the Quaffle and kicked off the ground, tucking the red ball under one arm.

 

Maddie and Chloe followed, brooms bobbing up and down in a way that made Cara wonder how they had made it past Frank Longbottom’s initial trials.

 

The Bludgers, which were being hit by the two red heads, were whizzing around her head even before she tried to make any offensive manoeuvres.

 

“Why are you hitting them towards _me?”_ She demanded towards... Fabian? Gideon? It was one of the red heads.

 

“Because you have the ball, darling.”

 

Cara gritted her teeth, not allowing the word to conquer up images of The Ringmaster.

 

_He’s dead and buried. He can’t hurt you now. People don’t come back from the dead._

 

But the Bludgers could hurt her. They were very real threats, she remembered, as she spun her broom and threw the Quaffle towards Chloe.

 

The brunette squealed and let the ball drop on the ground. Cara rolled her eyes and dived for it.

 

“Madeleine! Chloe! Stop being lazy lumps and actually _help me out here.”_ She shouted, yelping as one of the red headed twins seized the end of her broom and pulled. She grabbed his wrist and wrestled it off, speeding into the cloudy sky.

 

She glanced towards the goal. There was no way she’d be able to make it without the help of the other Chasers.

 

How did Frank say people could get out again?

 

Cara grinned, baring her teeth. She accelerated, spiralling around the twins, both of which were aiming a bludger at her head. It was the oldest trick in the book, but it might just work.

 

“Let’s go, Caroline.”

 

She spun, torpedoing towards the ground. The bludgers, coming from either side of where she had previously been, hit either twin, causing them to plummet to the ground.

 

Cara wished she felt guilty when she touched down, grasping both of their hands and pulling them up with her Maledictus strength.

 

“Good game.”

 

“Damn you too.” Both boys said, as they made their way over to Frank, who was clearly struggling to hold back a laugh.

 

Luckily, they were the last group to go, so Frank called them all into the centre to discuss the team.

 

“Sirius Black, James Potter, get over here, idiots. You’re annoying, but far too good to kick off.

 

“Marlene McKinnon, you can come back again. I don’t know _why_ , since you spend more time with boys than you do with us, but anyway. You’re a fine seeker.

 

“Fab, Gid, dolts you may be, welcome back. The Beater positions were made for you.

 

“And finally, Caroline Silverglass, welcome to the team. You didn’t score any goals, but it was fun watching you put Fab and Gid in their place.”

 

Cara grinned, accepting Frank’s hand with gratitude.

 

“Everyone else, bugger off. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

 

 **LUNA LOCKWOOD** stares off into the distance, wondering if she regretted accepting to come along to the Quidditch tryouts with Severus. She kind of listened to Madam Hooch explain the rules of quidditch, though Luna knew she didn’t really care about it.

 

Luna catches Severus looking at something in the corner of her eye, she turns to see him holding his broom upside down and looking at a group of people standing with a group of Gryffindor’s having just finished their tryouts, but they didn’t seem to get the point that they were supposed to leave. Luna growls as she recognises the two boys bragging to the rest of the group, James Potter and Sirius Black.

 

Luna walks over to where Severus is standing, she places her hand on his shoulder making him jump. “You’re holding your broom upside down,” she whispers to him and he hurriedly turns it around, James and Sirius notice Severus and start laughing at him.

 

Luna glares at them, “Your tryouts are finished, unless you want to join ours, you can leave.” They grumble something to the group and they all march of the pitch. Severus turns to look at her, “Wow, I didn’t know you had that in you.” he says, obviously in awe. Luna smiles, “I thought you knew enough about Quidditch to know that you were holding your broom upside down.”

 

Severus smiles at her, “Oh ha ha.”

 

“Come on,” Luna says, gesturing back to group of Slytherins, “We have a Quidditch trial to attend to.” He gasps to Luna’s enjoyment and runs back over to rejoin the group, mumbling to himself that he forgot all about the Quidditch tryouts. Luna laughs and follows his path back to the crowd of ever growing Slytherins wishing to beat Gryffindor to a pulp at Quidditch again this year.

 

There were a lot of eager Slytherins, an amount that Luna had underestimated since the Slytherin table had erupted into groans at the announcement of Quidditch. Severus looks in wonder at them, “Wow!” he says in amazement, “I didn’t know there would be so many people trying out.”

 

“Who's that?” she says, pointing at the girl standing at the head of the crowd. Severus looks at her blankly, “Oh, that’s Emma Vanity, she’s Slytherins Quidditch Captain.” “Really?”

 

“Everyone please calm down, we have some new faces in the crowd so let me say here's to a new year of Quidditch.” Emma Vanity says as the Slytherins cheer. She continues talking about the rules and what she hopes the Slytherins to achieve this year then she starts grouping everyone up into what they hoped to play.

 

Severus looks over at Luna, “What role will you go for?” he asks looking around at the different groups. “I might go for Seeker, you?” “Chaser,” he says staring at the large group of people wishing to tryout for that role. “Well good luck,” Luna says looking at the large group of people.

 

“I’ll see you later?” Severus asks, starting to make his way over to the group. “Yeah,” Luna says trying to remember if there was something important she was to be doing, “Later.”

 

Severus runs over to join the Chasers and Luna walks over to the group of Seekers, there were five of them, six including Luna. Though compared to all the other groups the Seeker group wasn’t that big.

 

Luna and the other seekers wait for Emma to come over and instruct their part of the tryout. When she does, after a brief shouting at the Beaters to stop throwing the bludgers at each other.

 

When Emma arrived everyone stood straighter and clutched their brooms tighter. “Alright Listen up,” she said, her voice booming across the pitch, “I want two laps around the pitch on your brooms, one lap running, and one last lap on your brooms. The first person back gets the spot the rest will have to leave. Get on it!”

 

Everyone grabbed their brooms, kicked off of the ground and started flying around the pitch. Luna stayed to the back weaving between people as she made her way to the front. “Hey!” Luna jumps, nearly falling off her broom, a girl flies up behind her smiling at Luna. “You doing well?”

 

“Yeah,” Luna answers not paying much attention to the girl. “Come on!” the girl shouts, flying ahead of Luna, “We’ve got a race to win!” she shouts behind her.

 

“Wait!” Luna yells, “What’s your name?!” but the girl had already flown off. Luna frowns and speeds up, making her way to the front and getting back with only one person in front of her.

 

Luna contemplates how she was going to catch up and eventually overtake the person in front of her, when someone behind her lost control of their broom and it flew off knocking into the person in front of her.

 

‘Problem solved, I guess,’ she thought looking dumbfounded at the scene that unfolded before her. Someone flying past her, snaps Luna back to reality, gritting her teeth in frustration she wills her broom to go faster.

 

Luna reaches the end of the lap, ducks down to the ground, drops her broom and falls into a sprint, she reaches the people in front of her and speeds into first. Keeping her place was the easy part.

 

Luna noted that the rest of the race was a breeze, no one came close to over taking her and she kept her spot for the rest of it. Luna reached Emma and doubled over panting and clutching her chest.

 

Emma smiled at Luna, “Good job, I guess because your the first one back you get the place.”

 

“Thanks,” Luna mumbled, Emma laughed.

 

She raised her hands and waved at everybody still racing, “Go home!” She shouted, “We have our Seeker!”

 

A lot of groans and grumbles were heard as the other five people left for the common room.

 

“Your very talented, Luna Lockwood, I hope to see more from you.” Emma said as she left to oversee the rest of the tryouts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think happened to Mallory?
> 
> Feel free to ask questions if you have them, I'll be happy to answer them.


	4. Chapter Three • Mallory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been uploaded very late at night. Ah well.

**❝** One question haunts and hurts—too much, too much to mention. **❞**

 

**MALLORY SNOW** was falling. 

 

There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to do. So much she wouldn’t be able to do. 

 

Not anymore. 

 

She was nothing but a couple of wisps of smoke now, hastily assembled to create a body. And she was fading fast. 

 

Mallory pushed. She clenched her fists and braced her body and shoved with all her weight, but she couldn’t.

 

The darkness was spiralling in around her, closing into her mind, muting her senses. She was alone in the world now. 

 

She grasped the smog in front of her, longing for a handhold, a rope,  _ something.  _

 

But no one could save her now, as she tumbled deeper into the inky black. 

 

Mallory forced her mouth to open, to shape words, to shape a scream, anything. She wanted to tell them. Tell the murky faces above her—Madam Pomfrey, Nurie, Dumbledore—why she was falling. 

 

But she could only make one sentence. 

 

“Save me, Seline.”

 

Falling…

 

...falling…

 

...falling…

 

...she never hit the bottom. 

 

**LUNA LOCKWOOD** ran through the hallways of the castle her robes billowing behind her in the wind. She cursed herself for not coming quicker. She burst through the door, taking everyone inside the room by surprise. 

 

“Luna you made it, we were just…”

 

“What happened, what happened to her. We should have been there for her! We should have been there to help!” Luna cried, tears streaming from her eyes.

 

Her reaction took everyone by surprise, “Luna!” Cara called, “Please sit down, we’ll talk about it together.”

 

Luna shuffled nervously in the doorway for a bit, before moving to sit in the seat Cara was patting next to her, “I’m sorry for my outburst. It was uncalled for.”

 

Cara rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, “It’s ok, we’re all upset, but the only way to get over this is together.”

 

Luna nodded, “Good. Now that we’re all settled, we can start this meeting.” Professor Dumbledore said from his seat at the head of the round table everyone sat at.

 

Everyone, meaning Cara, Luna, Nurie, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, James, Severus and the other professors. 

 

“As we all know by now,” Dumbledore started, “Mallory Snow was murdered.”

 

Cries were heard throughout the room, “There were no witnesses, so the identity of the murderer remains unknown.”

 

“We have to find them!” Luna shouted again, surprising everyone with her sudden change of attitude from the quiet girl they had grown to know, “We might not have known her for long but she’s family, It wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t do anything. We’d be dishonoring her if we just sulked around!”

 

“She is right you know,” Nurie spoke up for the first time.

 

“Thank you,” Luna whispered, “Thank you.”

 

**NURIE FLAYR** hesitated, looking at the body of her friend again. Cara had come in, and was wringing her hands. In fact, everyone was here, except -

 

“What happened, what happened to her. We should have been there for her! We should have been there to help!” Luna cried, tears streaming from her eyes.

 

Luna’s outburst took the room by surprise, including Nurie. But, Nurie thought. She couldn’t put her finger on it. It seemed a little… forced? Too angry? Too much emotion? She didn’t know.

 

“She is right, you know,” Nurie said, speaking up in the meeting. Usually, she didn’t speak during meetings or conversations. She analyzed the words people were saying to try and understand the person more. Luna seemed to be cool and all, but now… it was not exactly Luna. It  _ was _ Luna, but her personality was off. Luna, even when upset or frightened, not that Nurie had seen her frightened, was still patient. Mallory’s death was big, but still…

 

“Thank you,” Luna nodded at the Eagle.

 

Dumbledore looked carefully at Luna before speaking again. “So… No witnesses, no knowledge of the assassin. Also her last words; Save me Seline. She was dying at that stage, however, so for the moment, we shall assume that she was delirious. The only other thing we know is that she was stabbed with a poison dagger and that they were powerful enough to come into Hogwarts. The only assassin to be able to pull of such a heist -”

 

“Lucinda Lestrange,” Cara answered. “She must have posed as a student or a professor and therefore, gained access to the school. But why Mallory?”

 

“Correct, Cara,” Dumbledore smiled at the student, as calm as if he were answering a student in class. “That seems to be the only explanation as to how she came into Hogwarts. Right now, you are the only people who have my trust.” He nodded at the people in the room. “Everyone else is under suspicion. Any student that you notice acting strangely, bring to my attention. This meeting will be adjourned until someone is brought under suspicion.”

 

The group began to leave, but Nurie hesitated, looking at Luna. Cara and Luna were comforting each other, and the boys each other as well. When everyone had left, she approached the Headmaster.

 

“Professor Dumbledore…” she said, hesitant. The Headmaster motioned for her to proceed. “I don't trust…” she stopped. Of course she trusted Luna, but… “I mean, I think that Luna might have some more information.” She paused, but Dumbledore held up his hand.

 

"I understand," the teacher said. "Luna is not acting the way that you have become accustomed to. No doubt this is because of grief and she is simply upset -"

 

"But I've seen her upset before, and this is the furthest from how she usually reacts -"

 

"And there are five stages of grief, child," he said, not unkindly. Nurie flinched slightly at the term, remembering how her old mentor had called her that. "Luna is simply going through one; Denial."

 

"But it's more than that, professor," Nurie persisted. "Her last words; save me Seline, could be talking about the Titaness Seline, the Titaness of the Moon. Luna's name literally means 'moon'."

 

Dumbledore hesitated. "It might be a relative though. Or an old friend. Just because Luna is acting stranger than usual does not give cause for her to be suspected."

 

"But sir -" Nurie tried again. "I'm not suspecting her, I'm just saying that she might know something."

 

"In her current state, she would have told us," the Headmaster said, again, kindly. "I also believe that Luna might be hiding something, but Luna was closer to Mallory than you or Cara. It might be private and at the moment, we wouldn't want to push her. Mallory's death struck Luna hard. Give her time," he said, gesturing towards the door. Nurie understood the dismissal.

 

A boy was waiting outside for her, falling instep with her as she walked to the Great Hall. "You ok?" He asked. 

 

Nurie nodded. "Yes." She remembered something. "Oh, you were there as well. In the meeting, I mean." The boy smiled.

 

"Yes. I'm Remus. Remus Lupin." They shook hands.

 

"Nurie. Nurie Flayr," the continued walking. "You play Quidditch?" She asked. Remus shrugged.

 

"Kind of. I can be a chaser at times, but that's about the extent of my abilities." The Entrance Hall loomed in front of them. In the door of the Great Hall, Nurie saw James and Sirius, who Cara seemed to like. They gestured for Remus to join them, as Cara and Luna beckoned her over.

 

"See you," they awkwardly said in unison, and went to join their friends.

 

**CARA SILVERGLASS** felt helpless. 

 

She wrung her shirt in her hands, staring at the pale face of Mallory. Her eyes had been shut by someone—Dumbledore, perhaps?

 

Her eyes had been wide and sky blue, staring into the ceiling she would never see again. A final, gasping breath…

 

And then she was gone. 

 

Cara should have saved her! She should have protected Mallory more! She knew the blonde wasn’t perfectly sane… why hadn’t she made sure Mallory was never alone?

 

Because she was a  _ coward. _

 

Nico shouldn’t have saved her… he should have ran and left her to burn. Where was Nico? In the same place as Mallory?

 

Where do you go when you die?

 

Cara felt sick.

 

But Nicodemus was ashes now, and Mallory was nothing but a husk, cold and silent, skin white and veins blue.

 

The blood was brown now, drying around Mallory’s chest. She’d been in her Quidditch robes!

 

Luna had been pulled from her own Quidditch trials.

 

Oh god,  _ Luna _ . 

 

They had been friends. More than that.

 

_ Definitely  _ more than that, now that Cara thought about it.

 

Cara clenched her fists. Her head was throbbing.

 

She was going to vomit. She groped for a table to hang onto. Strong hands caught her before she fell to the ground, and shoved a china dish under her chin.

 

Her throat burned.

 

The vomit spewed into the bowl. Bits of her breakfast and lunch were now glaring up at the Hospital Wing roof.

 

“Hey, hey,” a concerned voice filled her hearing as she slumped to the ground. She felt someone sitting next to her, heard the clink of the china onto the floor. They sat for a few minutes.

 

Cara was shaking, she realised, as she clutched onto the boy behind her. She mustered the strength to glance up, staring at the dark haired boy above her. His face swam, tears in her eyes blurring his features, but she recognised him. 

 

Why was he here, the day everyone died?

 

Nico, and now Mallory. Sirius Black truly was the Grim.

 

“I don’t think we’ve spoken properly before, Cara.”

 

_ Shit. _


	5. Chapter Four • Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can have everything, but it will be nothing without hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realised that I missed chapter 3, somehow... oops. So I added it and reuploaded chapter 4.

**❝** Together we were alone, but alone we were together. **❞**

 

**CARA SILVERGLASS** walked slowly from Dumbledore’s office with Luna, who was still trembling. She was trying to make sense of it all, but knew that detection was not her strong point. That talent lay with Nurie, but she did know something of empathy. She turned to the Slytherin next to her.

 

“Hey,” she began awkwardly. Luna turned her tearstained face towards her, and again, she felt helpless. Too helpless to do anything, but she tried.

 

“I know you loved her. We all did, but you more than us.” Luna cocked her head, and Cara took that as a sign to continue.

 

“Don’t worry. We’ll get justice,” Cara promised, already thinking of the things she would do to whoever took Mallory away from them. 

 

“You’ll see,” she continued, more to herself than the girl wiping her eyes next to her.

 

“I know,” Luna said, her face now dry and her cloak sleeve wet. “I just… It’s never happened to me before.” Cara stared, shocked. Luna never opened up about her past to anyone, not even to the late Mallory. She recalled a lesson her brother had taught her after their parents had died and they were taken to the circus.

 

‘Others will open up if they feel indebted,’ he used to say. Meaning, Cara supposed, that others would open up if she did first, showing that she trusted them with her own knowledge, making them feel like they owed her something in return.

 

“It’s happened to me,” she said, and felt Luna turned towards her. “My brother died. A year ago. Although,” she swallowed. “It feels different this time though,” she said. “Not that different. It doesn’t get any better, or easier to deal with… Just… It was kind of my fault, I suppose.” Luna draped her arm around her shoulders as she began to quietly cry again. She started at the touch, not rejecting it, just not expecting it.

 

“I’m alright,” she hurried to wipe her own eyes. “I just… you won’t be feeling that, obviously…” she hurried. “As it wasn’t your fault.”

 

Luna lowered her arm as they walked down the stairs that flooded into the Entrance Hall. Luna seemed to notice something as they reached the bottom stair. “Where’s Nurie,?” she asked.

 

Cara looked around the room, noting James and Sirius on the other side, but not Remus. She turned to see two shadows, elongated by one of the stone torches that were sprinkled around the castle. Nurie’s leg was immediately recognisable.

 

“She’s with Remus,” she said. She and Luna waved her over as the two reached the bottom stair. Nurie approached them as Remus left to join the boys.

 

**NURIE FLAYR** sat in between Cara and Luna at the Gryffindor table, the boys on the opposite sides; James opposite Luna, Sirius opposite Cara and Remus in front of Nurie. 

She noticed Luna looking a bit uncomfortable, and sliding the Slytherins glances.

"You ok?" she asked. Luna seemed to shake off her momentary discomfort.

"Yeah, they're just not behaving," Luna said. 

James smirked. "You've really got them wrapped around your finger."

Luna smiled, at which Nurie frowned at. Her outburst in the headmasters office to this? She had heard of emotion changes but this was ridiculous. Her friend had just died and here she was, laughing and joking, minutes after she was crying and throwing tantrums left, right and centre. "Wouldn't be the first time." The Slytherin said, and Nurie decided that it was to do with the stages of grief Dumbledore had mentioned. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Maybe she had already accepted it. Nurie certainly hadn't, and she didn't know about Cara, but the two girls had loved each other. Nurie didn't think that she was in the accepting stage, or past it, yet. Or maybe she was trying to ignore it, deny that it ever happened.

“So, how did you guys go in trials?” James asked, throwing a small gold ball into the air. It caught her eye.

“Is that the Snitch?” she asked incredulously. James smirked in confirmation.

“It was easy to nick,” he said, letting it hover a few inches away from his carefree hand before snatching it up again. Remus frowned.

“You could get in serious trouble for that,” he warned, but Sirius snorted.

“Party pooper,” he teased, and then noted Remus’ concerned face. “Oh, come on! He does have something up there,” he knocked James’ head with a finger, as if listening for an echo.

“Yeah he does,” Remus reached for a little party pie on the long plate which had just appeared in between the boys and the girls. “Bits of cotton that float through his ear when you guys have pillow fights.” James mocked an offended look while Cara failed to make her laugh come off as a hacking cough.

“But seriously,” Sirius smiled at the girls. “None of you have played before and it looks like you all did pretty decently.” They shrugged.

“Well, you know how I went,” Cara said, looking at the other girls. Luna frowned.

“We don’t,” she said. Cara sighed.

“Chaser,” she pointed to herself. “Chaser, chaser.” She pointed to Sirius and James in turn.

“Seeker,” Luna offered up, and they turned to Nurie.

“Beater, she smiled. James frowned.

“Isn’t it hard?” he asked. Nurie could tell he was trying not to look at her leg, but she knew what he was talking about anyway.

“James!” Cara leapt to Nurie’s defence, literally, standing up so she towered over the boy, but Nurie pushed her back down with a hand. Her arms were quite strong as she loved climbing and had to use them more, and Cara sat down with a steady plop.

“It’s fine,” she said to Cara, who looked surprised at Nurie’s apparent strength, but said nothing. “It’s not that hard. I…” she paused, not knowing how to explain her family elemental power, or the maledictus curse that came with it. “I just spent a lot of time flying as a kid. I know how it works,” she finished, not really lying. After all, she loved flying as a girl, just not on a broomstick. James nodded, finishing up his fourth party pie.

“You are going to burst,” Luna commented as he reached for a fifth.

“Nonsense,” he spluttered. “This is a mere snack.” She shrugged, still looking uncomfortable. Nurie looked again at the Slytherin table, and sure enough, they were still glaring her, betrayal in her face.

“Do you want to head up to the Ravenclaw Common Room? It might be a bit more private up there, as everyone else will be down here.” The others quickly caught onto what she was saying, and Luna looked gratefully at her.

“Good idea,” she said as the group stood up. They turned to leave, when James stopped.

“Wait,” he said, before taking the plate of pies. Remus glared at him.

“You had better be sharing those,” was all he said before they all left the hall.

  
  


**LUNA LOCKWOOD** was not having a good day, it started with the fact that she sat at the Gryffindor table with Nurie, Cara and the Marauders, as the boys have started calling themselves. 

 

Everyone at the Slytherin table were giving her bad looks, Luna glowered at Severus causing him to shuffle in his seat.

 

“Everything ok?” Nurie frowned.

 

“Yeah, they’re just not behaving.” Luna answered.

 

James snorted, “You’ve really got them wrapped around your finger.”

 

Luna smiled, causing Nurie to give her a weird look, “Wouldn't be the first time.”

 

They had talked for a bit and Nurie had suggested that they discuss more in her common room, as no one would give them a second glance.

 

Luna agreed that it would be a good idea.

 

They sat in a circle in the Ravenclaw common room, "So." Sirius said, talking for the first time since she had arrived.

 

“What now?”

 

Nurie laughed, “We avenge our fallen comrade! Or something.”

 

Everyone laughed at Nurie, Luna felt happy and she laughed with them.

 

The others had been avoiding her because they thought she might shatter at any moment, she had to admit that she had been the closest to Mallory and that her death had hit Luna the hardest.

 

She was in denial of Mallory’s death, she admitted, Luna tried to do everything she could to distract herself from the thought of it. 

 

Luna knew she wasn’t coming back, Mallory was gone.

 

Gone for good, and it was her fault, because she hadn’t been able to stop it.


	6. Chapter Five • Talk It Out

**❝** I'm not questioning your loyalty. I'm denying its existence. **❞**

 

**LUNA LOCKWOOD** glanced around at the ragtag bunch of people sitting in a circle in the Ravenclaw common room, herself included. No one was really sure if what they were doing was allowed but the few people that had walked past only gave them strange looks, so they assumed it was ok.

 

“So, what’s the plan?” James asked taking a bite out of the pie in his hand.

 

“You’ve already said that, and you still haven’t shared your pies.” Remus answered smoothly, glaring at the plate of pies in James’ lap as if it were the source of all of his problems.

 

“That’s because you haven’t answered my question yet and you said it yourself, they’re my pies.” James quipped back, taking another bite out of the pie.

 

Remus sighed, “You know what, forget it. You can keep your stupid pies.”

 

“Yes!” James cheered.

 

Luna and Nurie shared a look at their banter, giving each other a smile.

 

“Shush, shush. We have more important things we need to do than argue about pies.” Cara called out.

 

Luna and Nurie nodded in confirmation.

 

“Well, Mallory’s gone, and we need to find out who killed her and how to get back at them and stop them from possibly killing more people.”

 

Everyone was silent, trying to figure out what to do.

 

“JUSTICE!” James suddenly yelled, pumping his fist into the air, startling Luna who fell backwards with a yelp.

 

Luna frowned at the laughing forms of her friends.

 

“What the hell do they think they’re doing… Can’t believe it… Why  would she do this… They’re in so much trouble for this.”

 

Everyone tensed as the voice crept closer to the common room. One of the Ravenclaw prefects rounded the corner. 

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” They yelled.

 

“Um…”

 

“We’re detectives.” James said, Sirius was nodding along.

 

“Why is a Slytherin here? Those slimy bastards will try anything to sabotage anything we do, I can’t have her in here.”

 

“But..” Nurie stuttered.

 

“50 points from Ravenclaw for disobeying simple school rules.”

 

“You can’t do that!”

 

“I can, and I just did. I’ll be taking this to Professor Flitwick as well.”

 

“Wait! There’s a simple explanation to this!” Nurie cried as she ran out of the room, trying to convince the prefect otherwise.

 

“Welp, we should be going before we get in any more trouble.” Cara said, dragging the two other Gryffindors out of the room.

 

“See you, Luna.”

 

“Yeah, see you.”

 

Luna stood up and walked out of the room, finding Cara outside trying to calm down a fighting Remus and James.

 

Luna sighed and chuckled to herself at her choice of friends.

 

Choosing to leave Cara to deal with them Luna made her way down to the dungeons and back to the Slytherin common room, guessing she’d have to deal with the Slytherins next she groaned. 

 

“I really hope this is all just a dream.”

 

**CARA SILVERGLASS** tried and failed to get her friends to stop fighting. She didn't like that James and Remus were fighting but Sirius assured her that it was normal and she didn't need to worry because there was nothing to worry about.

 

But she was worrying anyway.

 

Why couldn’t anything go right for once. She knew she wishing for a lot but she could dream, couldn’t she?

 

It was obvious that they’d get in trouble, that much at least was clear.

 

"Guys… please," she asked but Remus was furious.

 

"YOU DIDN'T SHARE ONE. SINGLE. PIE. TO ANYONE!" Remus shouted. James spread his hands defensively.

 

"You said I didn't have to!" he protested.

 

"You didn't have to take that literally!" Remus shot back. "If you had one functioning brain cell, you would know that that was sarcasm. But noooo."

 

"Guys," Cara spotted Professor Flitwick exiting the Common Room. "Can we go now?"

 

"No!" They both shouted, and then saw the professor.

 

"Remus," he called, beckoning him.

 

"Great," he muttered. He shot a dirty look at James. 

 

"You better save me a pie for dinner." He walked over to the Head of Ravenclaw. 

 

Sirius grabs James hand and pulls him in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. 

 

“Come on, you too Cara. Let's go back to the common room before we get in even more trouble.”

 

Cara nods, after that fiasco they didn't know who was watching them.

 

“Wait!” James cried, pulling himself out of Sirius’ grip, “First off, I'm not a child, I can walk by myself. Second, I have to get something, so… I'll be back.”

 

James gave them a mock salute and ran off.

 

“James!” Cara sighed.

 

“Where's he going?”

 

“Who knows.” Sirius answered with a shrug of his shoulders, “That's the main corridor, it goes everywhere.”

 

“Dammit!” Cara shook her fist at the empty corridor where James had been, and then glaring at Sirius as he snorted into his hand.

 

“Come on, we should get going.”

 

“But…”

 

“Ah, leave him. He’s smart enough to find his way back to the common room.”

 

“Right, r... right.”

 

Cara and Sirius started down the hallway, walking awkwardly in silence.

 

“So, about what happened…”

 

“What?”

 

“At the circus.”

 

“So you did know!” Cara stopped and spun around to face him.

 

“Uh, yeah. I don’t know much about the curse, but I did some research and it looks horrible.”

 

“It is.”

 

Sirius stepped forward and enveloped Cara in a hug. She felt her face grow hot in a blush.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Cara pulled away, desperately trying to hide her red face.

 

“Don’t be! I don’t need or want your sympathy!”

 

“Oh wow, jeez, ok.” Sirius sidestepped Cara and started walking down the corridor.

 

“Ah wait!” 

 

**NURIE FLAYR** , of course, was the one in trouble for letting four Gryffindors and a Slytherin into the Ravenclaw common room.

She apologised to the Prefect, but he still reported to Professor Flitwick.

And of course, Cara, Luna, James, Sirius and Remus were innocent as the newly driven snow.

Nurie glanced around the room as she limped in. She recognised it as her Charms classroom, but it was not Professor Flitwick at the desk.

At the desk sat Professor McGonagall. She nodded at Nurie as she dumped her bag at one of the desks in the second row and sat down.

“Nurie Flayr,” she stated, mispronouncing her name. Nurie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Yes, Professor.”

“Good. Now we wait for one more to join us, and then we shall proceed with the detention.” She leaned back in her chair and waved her wand. A small spark came out, and the curtins slammed down over the windows, the daylight extinguished. The torches were the only light in the room, but Nurie could see perfectly well anyway. Her senses were always heightened, even if she hadn’t turned into her Maledictus form lately.

The door creaked open, and she turned to find, to her surprise, Remus walking in. He didn’t seem surprised that she was there, just shouldered his bag off his back and sat down in the seat next to her. Professor McGonagall nodded.

“Right. Let’s get this over with. Nurie Flayr,” again, her last name was mispronounced, but she didn’t mind much. No one could pronounce it. “You are here for letting four Gryffindors and a Slytherin into you Common Room, something which is prohibited unless a crisis is occurring. And there was not one. Remus Lupin, you are here for allowing the Gryffindors and the Slytherin in and being in there yourself, again, not allowed unless there is an emergency.”

Nurie glanced over and mouthed an apology. Remus shrugged and motioned it was fine. The Transfiguration teacher continued. “However,” she said. “The staff realises that your group has gone through a difficult time. Especially with the loss of Mallory Snow. So the Headmaster has seen fit to grant you some, ah… time away from the grounds of Hogwarts. You may return to your families.”

Nurie and Remus looked at each other in shock. Then Nurie tentatively raised a hand. “Professor… Cara, Luna and I… our families are either dead or abroad.”

“Which is why the Headmaster is giving you a second option. To discover what happened to Mallory Snow. I know you all want to,” she said as the two looked at her, startled.

“But… Professor McGonagall -”

“No buts, Remus Lupin. Go,” she waved a hand towards the doors. “God help you all, and find the murderer.”

And with that, Professor McGonagall stood, turned and in a whirl, changed into a cat and walked out.


	7. Chapter Six • The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chaos begins.

**❝** A person who risks nothing does nothing. **❞**

 

**NURIE FLAYR** heard the scream first.

Alone in the corridor, she whirled around to the sound, and then,

“No, no, no, no, no! Please don’t! No - Aaaaaaaaah!”

Nurie began to run. It seemed to be coming from one of the end rooms leading off from the corridor, but her leg was slowing her down too much.

There was nothing for it.

She Turned, her slim form leaping into the air as her black Ravenclaw cloak morphed into eagle feathers, her face into an elegant beak…

She flew down the corridor, but she feared she would be too late. Whoever it was, they had stopped screaming.

As the many desks and the blackboard came into view, she thought she saw a massive, black shape flying around one of the spires, but as she Turned back, her eyesight wasn’t as clear, and the shape disappeared.

Nurie pulled out her wand, but she figured it wouldn’t be much use. Whatever that massive shape had been, the threat had gone with it.

She knelt next to the girl. Hufflepuff, though the body had been stained with so much blood her cloak almost looked like a Gryffindors.

But unfortunately, she recognised her.

“Ashley,” she murmured. Mallory’s best friend during her short time here… and now she had faced the same fate as her friend.

A gleaming knife lay next to her, its handle covered in blood. Nurie supposed she had pulled it out, not knowing how dangerous that was. But, she supposed, Ashley had been a pureblood. She had never known the ways of no-majs, not in the way that Nurie did. She examined the knife.

The handle was engraved with thorns and roses, spiralling around. A snake wound its way up the main blade, the space around the snake covered with tiny water droplets and flickering fire. Hundreds of small runes covered the guard.

Nurie heard running feet coming down the hallway. She hesitated, but then stood up and quietly ran to the window. She was covered in Ashley’s blood and did not want to be suspected.

She Turned, flying away just as three professors and the Headmaster burst in. Blood coated her feathers, rippling in the wind as she flew down, chilled to the bone.

She landed next to the lake as cries of anguish floated down on the breeze to the small cove she had landed in and Turned.

She had discovered this cove on her first day, and had since been stocking it with supplies.

Now, she changed into a spare pair of Ravenclaw clothes, cleaned her own with a whoosh of her wand and placed the knife down next to a bloodied handkerchief.

The handkerchief was embroidered with the letters  _ M.S. _

Mallory Snow.

She examined the handkerchief that belonged to her friend and noticed with sadness that the blood was the same tinge of purple.

Poison.

Someone had poisoned her best friend and another innocent and she was determined to find out who.

 

**CARA SILVERGLASS** looked around the cove that Nurie had brought her to.

 

It was massive, stocked to the brim with potions, ingredients, magical items, brooms, books (of course) and more. Dark grey bean-bags littered a corner, so densely that it almost seemed that the floor sloped up to the wall.

 

All in all, Cara was… impressed? That didn’t seem the right word.

 

She was jealous.

 

“You didn’t tell me? About any of this?” she asked. Nurie grimaced.

 

“Some of those books are from the library. I didn’t want them to go missing, or get jumbled up, ‘cos they’re in order of how long they’re due to and -”

 

“That really is the worst excuse I have ever heard.”

 

Nurie grinned. “True.”

 

Cara critically studied one of the walls. It was a shelf, holding all the magical items, but…

 

“Don’t you have any guilty feelings about this shelf?” she asked indignantly.

 

Nurie frowned. “No, why -”

 

“I mean, look at the state of this shelf!  _ Grey? _ Absolutely not!” Cara waved her wand and the shelves changed to white. “And this! Oh Nurie,” she muttered. “Where is your sense of decoroom?”

 

“Decorum?”

 

“No no,  _ decoroom _ . You really have no sense of style, do you?”

 

“Ok, that’s a bit harsh -”

 

“No no no! I see I will have to make a few changes around here.”

 

“Wait -”

 

But Cara was already waving her wand. The small candles around the room changed to fairy lights (muggle ones), with blurry and big bulbs, and spread themselves around the ceiling. They illuminated the cave, showing the natural sandstone hues of the cave walls and ceilings. Next to go were the dark grey shelves. They followed Cara’s colour scheme and turned white after the Magical Items shelf. A few more bean-bags, which Cara elected to keep that silvery grey colour, and some poofs too. A table righted itself in the corner, a dark oak colour, and on the back wall, then empty, now displayed four banners, one for each house.

 

Cara studied the Ravenclaw one critically. “Why is the Ravenclaw symbol an eagle?”

 

“Rowena and Helena Ravenclaw were from a Scottish tribe, but Scotland was called Albania back then. They were part of a tribe that used the Golden Eagle as its crest, and their motto was  _ Consilio non Impetu _ .”

 

“Which means?”

 

Nurie sighed. “Wisdom over force.”

 

“Makes sense for them. That doesn’t explain why they didn’t use a raven. Aren’t ravens the smartest of birds?”

 

“They are, but they were the leaders of the tribe, so they were considered nobility. It would have been a bit treasonous to start a school and not dedicate them in some way.”

 

“Ok… so how do you know this?”

 

“Logic, Cara,” Nurie rolled her eyes. “Helena Ravenclaw hid her mother’s diadem in Albania. Albania wasn’t founded until 1272, but Scotland was called Albania back when Rowena and Helena were alive. And it makes sense that Helena would hide her mother’s diadem in a forest that she knew, and not in a far off middle eastern country. And which Scottish tribe liked living in forests?”

 

“Rowena’s.”

 

“Bingo!”

 

**LUNA LOCKWOOD** lay on her bed splayed like a starfish, staring up at the canopy above her. She sighed and looked over at the boy sitting next to her, giving her a worried expression.

 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” She frowned when he didn’t answer.

 

“Sev?”

 

“You spend so much time with them!” Severus burst out suddenly, “I feel left out! Maybe a bit jealous.”

 

“Sev.” Luna said, her face softening.

 

“You’ll tell me if something’s wrong ok?” Severus asked.

 

“Yeah. Sure.” Luna knew she couldn’t do that though.

 

“Good I…” 

 

Luna looked at Severus in confusion at his sudden quietness.

 

“What is it?” 

 

He pointed to something tiny in the doorway. Luna frowned, trying to get a better look at the creature. 

 

“Cleo!” Luna shouted, when the creature walked out of the shadows to reveal a small black feline.

 

“You know it?”

 

“Her.” Luna corrected, patting her lap, giving the cat permission to sit on it. “She’s mine.”

 

“Oh, um. That’s nice.”

 

“Don’t like cats?”

 

“I love them. It’s just the only cat I know really well is Mrs Norris and she’s not the nicest.”

 

Luna’s face hardened, “Take the cat.” She stated, picking Cleo up under the arm and placing her on Severus’ lap.

 

“Hi.” He said awkwardly, stroking the purring feline.

 

Luna finally noticed the letter in Cleo’s mouth and she carefully took it from her. Opening the slobbery letter with Severus peering over her shoulder, she read it carefully.

 

_ Hi Luna, _

 

_ I found your cat, she was down at the Black Lake. What was she doing down there? Do you know? Anyway, there’s something I want to tell you so I was wondering if you could come to the Black Lake in an hour. I really hope you get this, I can’t tell if cat post is reliable or not. If not, that was a waste of paper. If so, this will be a cool new way to send notes. _

 

_ Nurie. _

 

_ P.S. Cara will be there as well since I need to talk to both of you. _

 

“Is she your friend?” Severus asked, ignoring Luna’s attempt to shove him away so she could read the letter in peace.

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“Then go!” Severus said, smiling.

 

“W-What?”

 

“Just remember to bring me as well next time.”

 

“I will.” Luna laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one bites the dust. 
> 
> Annnnd! That's another chapter! Sorry it took so long to come out, getting people to cooperate is hard.


	8. Chapter Seven • Lost in the Forbidden Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls get lost trying to find the identity of the murderer and get revenge for their friends death.

**❝** A forest doesn’t weep over one tree. **❞**

 

**LUNA LOCKWOOD** arrived at the Black Lake a few hours later than she intended – ok maybe a few hours was an understatement, It took longer than a  _ few  _ hours. She tried to not get lost in her thoughts, it was hard though as her mind kept wandering to topics that had nothing to do with what she was supposed to be doing currently.

 

Luna noticed Nurie and Cara standing at the edge of the lake, waving at Luna. Luna smiled and waved back. They led Luna to a cave hidden deep within the Forbidden Forest.

 

“Hey! I’m glad you could make it.” Nurie said when they arrived.

 

“Yeah, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

 

“Oh yeah, that.”

 

Nurie reached into her pocket and wrestled with something before stopping and asking them a question.

 

“Did you guys hear what happened lately?”

 

“No,” Luna said, getting increasingly worried, “I haven’t been allowed to leave the common room, remember?”

 

“Then why did you leave? And no I’ve been with Sirius.”

 

Luna smirked, “Nurie’s note sounded important, and I’m not letting anyone confine me to my common room. The note was an excuse to escape.”

 

“And this is why you’re a Slytherin.” Cara stated, smiling in amusement.

 

“And you’re a Gryffindor.” Luna answered with a chuckle.

 

“Guys please.” Nurie interrupted, pulling a blood stained knife out of her pocket.

 

“Woah! What?”

 

“I’ll catch you up to speed, someone else was killed today. I got there just after the murderer left so I didn’t get a look at them, but this was left behind.”

 

“Why would someone leave it behind?” Luna asked, staring intently at the knife.

 

“What do you mean?” Cara asked, trying to get a better look at the weapon in Nurie’s hand.

 

“If they knew what they were doing, and by how you described it I’m guessing they did. They would have taken everything with them, even the body.”

 

“Maybe it’s because I got there.” Nurie piped up.

 

“No.” Luna said, going back to thinking. “They would have just killed you too. They left it here on purpose.”

 

“So it’s a trap.” Cara sounded less and less sure of herself.

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

“Well,” Nurie said, clapping her hands together to grab everyone's attention.

 

“If this murderer is the same one that killed Mallory then we have to find them and stop them. Luna?”

 

“Yeah, ok.”

 

Luna stepped forward and held out her wand.

 

“ _ Avenseguim” _

 

**NURIE FLAYR** watched as the spell tingled around the knife, lighting up the designs and revealed…

 

Nothing.

 

“Amazing technique.”

 

“Shut up,” Luna growled as she tried again. The runes lit up again, but the charm didn’t work.

 

“Maybe the runes are stopping it,” Cara said. Luna raised her eyebrows.

 

“Gee, you think?”

 

“So we have to disarm the runes,” Nurie said, running to the bookcase. “I might have it here -”

 

“No you won’t. Disarming runes is very hard. They’re not just going to have it in the library for people to pick up,” Luna fingered the knife.

 

“They would have in the Restricted Section,” Cara argued.

 

“They have a lot of strange things in the Restricted Section.”

 

“You bet they do.”

 

“Did you just accuse me of something?”

 

“Chocolate cake. Next to the Elemental Magic section.”

 

“Ok, so I was doing some late night reading.”

 

“You don’t leave chocolate cake in the library.”

 

“Why were you even looking at the Elemental Magic section?”

 

“Why were you?”

 

“Found it!” Nurie stopped their banter, holding up a thick book of runes. Luna stared at it.

 

“How?” Nurie scratched the back of her neck.

 

“I… charmed the bookcase. It has a direct link to the library. Including the Restricted Section.” Cara and Luna’s jaws hit the floor.

 

“We haven’t learnt that in charms - Oh. You read it in a book,” Cara realised.

 

“A Restricted Section book,” Luna smiled. “How did you get access in there?”

 

“Same as you. Elemental Magic - What? It’s in our N.E.W.T. exams.”

 

“It’s not a big part of it.”

 

“I like to know as much as I can about something before I have to take a test on it,” Nurie flicked through the pages.

 

“Madam Pince is going to kill you when she finds out.”

 

“ _ If _ she finds out.”

 

“Books are going missing from the library. She’ll find out.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Luna dismissed. She sounded pretty worried, but they poured over the pages.

 

“Here it is,” Nurie pointed to a tightly scrawled paragraph. A small compartment in the book held a small rune covered sheet. ‘For Practise’ it read.

 

“It’ll turn green if we do it right, and red if we don’t,” Nurie read the instructions. “Ok. Seems easy enough. You want to do this, Luna?”

 

“Experimental magic? I will leave this in your capable hands, Nurie.”

 

“Alright.” Nurie waved her wand, up, down, circle, snap wrist. “ _ Runus Scripturarum Ec! _ ” she said. The paper turned green.

 

“That was easy,” Cara said.

 

“Too easy,” Luna said, but Nurie picked up the knife. “ _ Runus Scripturarum Ec!”  _ she cried, her wand swishing through the air.

 

Nothing happened. The runes stayed on.

 

**  
** **CARA SILVERGLASS** felt a little let down as they trudged out of the cave. They had tried everything.

 

“I just don’t understand!” She cried, waving her hands around in the air.

 

Luna had her finger and thumb on her chin, she was making a pondering sound. 

 

“What is it?” Nurie asked, trying to catch up with Cara’s steadily increasing pace.

 

“I recognise some of the runes on here, protection, family, home.” Luna pointed to each one as she pointed them out, “The rest are a mystery to me.”

 

“So? How about we try both spells at the same time?” Cara inquired, she had nothing to contribute before Nurie and Luna gave up on the knife, but she wanted to at least say something. 

 

“I–I hadn’t thought about that.” Nurie mumbled. Cara nodded.

 

“It wouldn’t work.” Luna interrupted, grabbing everyone’s attention. 

 

“Why not?”

 

“You’re trying to use a spell that cancels runes at the same time as a spell to locate the origin of an object or something related to it. They’d cancel each other out.” She paused, thinking over it more before continuing. 

 

Cara could almost see her brain whirl as she tried to figure it out.

 

“The location spell would have nothing to latch onto because of the runes blocking it from getting to the knife, instead it would latch onto the runes. The rune cancellation spell would cancel the runes or at least try, stopping the location spell from working.”

 

“We could at least try.”

 

An upset huff left Luna but she consented.

 

“Alright, but if we die it’s on you.”

 

Luna, Nurie and Cara took their places. Cara stood in the middle, holding the knife as far away from herself as physically possible. She was not taking any chances. Luna and Nurie stood on either side of her, their wands held out at the knife, their brows furrowed in concentration. 

 

Two simultaneous and magic imbued shouts of “ _ Avenseguim!”  _ and  _ “ _ _ Runus Scripturarum Ec!”  _ reverberated through the forest.

 

The knife in Cara’s hand glowed from the lit up runes along its handle. Nothing. 

 

“What did I tell you?” 

 

“At least we’re not dead.” Cara squeaked, placing the knife in Luna’s offered hand as quickly as possible. 

 

“One problem.” Nurie turned back to face them from her spot at the edge of the clearing doing who knows what. 

 

“We’re lost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down! I felt it necessary that this is a murder mystery that you can take part in as well, if you want. If you noticed a gap in the updating schedule that would be because of school holidays, since it's harder to get other people to work without harassing them in person, there will be no updates during school holidays.  
> If you have any questions or anything you would like to say to the authors please ask.  
> -Flare.


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